News from the PTA President, Fernando Lomeli

Greetings Preuss Community It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome everyone back from our winter break, and hope that all of you had a well deserved rest, and are ready to start the New Year 2010. We are starting the year with our General meeting on January 23rd, addressing the transportation issues and conducting a survey, so it is very important that you partici-pate giving your information on this survey so we can then make recommendations to The Preuss School Board of Directors regarding their decision on discontinuing trans-portation to the 11th and 12th grades students for next year. See Page 2

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla CA 92093-0536 Main Phone Line (858) 658-7400

THE PREUSS SCHOOL UCSD INS IGHT NEWSLETTER

News from the School

Principal

1-2

News from the PTA Presi-

dent

1-2

News from the School

Principal translated

3

News from the Student

Services Department

4

Words from the Library

and Media Center

5

A Note from the Health

Department

5

News from ASB a note for

parents

6

Inside this issue

A Message from the School Principal-Director Scott Barton

The Preuss School UCSD has officially started our second decade. We have much to be proud of when we look back over our first decade. The Preuss School has been the place to be. It has been the place for model education. It has been the place for exemplary teaching, with more than 75% of our faculty having an advanced degree. It has been the place for urban youngsters to learn and to earn a high school diploma, qualifying them for ad-mission to the finest colleges and universities in the nation.

Our API scores rose from the low 800’s to the cur-

rent score of 894. We have been ranked by numer-

ous national publications as one of the top high

schools in the country. We have had six graduat-

ing classes and more than 90% of our graduates

have been admitted to four-year colleges and uni-

versities. As we look to our next 10 years, we are

confident our students will continue to be success-

ful. The Preuss School UCSD also has the mission

to disseminate our model and our goal is to share

our successes with schools throughout the country.

This year has brought some exciting news.

We have been ranked by U.S. News & World

Report as the #9 Charter School in the nation.

Kelly Kovacic, who teaches AP Government, AP

United States History, Internship and Advisory,

is the California Teacher of The Year and she is

a Finalist in the National Teacher of The Year

Competition. We have been nominated as a

National Blue Ribbon School. Our students

continue to receive scholarships and grants.

Paul Tran received the prestigious Nordstrom

scholarship. Alexis Montes, Cassandra Lopez

and Danielle Michel each received the Patté

Award/Scholarship. Maryam Shamlow and

Chieu Vuong Nguyen received two of the five

scholarships awarded by the California Charter

School Association. Senior, Nathaly Gonzalez

was awarded a scholarship from the UCSD

Medical Center, Department of Robotic Sur-

gery, and Vivian Nguyen received the Violet

Richardson Award from Soroptimist Interna-

tional of Mission Bay. See page 2

Please, Join us for the Annual

Preuss Parents’ Potluck Lunch on Saturday, February 27, 11:30 am.

Come and enjoy meeting other

parents! There will be a lot of fun

Everyone is invited to bring a dish

Por favor únase a nosotros a celebrar nuestra

reunión annual de padres de familia de

Preuss el dia sábado 27 de febrero

11:30 am

Venga a disfrutar y a conocer otros padres! Habrá mucha diversión

Le invitamos a traer un platillo de su preferencia

We’re on the Web! www.preuss.ucsd.edu

While The Preuss School has been an overwhelming success, we are currently facing monetary challenges. With the state budget cuts to education, our staff has done an incredible job of being more efficient and productive with limited re-sources. We are committed to our goals and we will con-tinue to be a champion in education by striving to send 100% of our graduates to college. The Preuss School celebrated Homecoming the week of Janu-ary 4 – 8. Preuss alumni returned to the School and gave presentations in Advisory classes. Their message was clear; hard work at The Preuss School will be rewarded with suc-cess in college. We were then treated to the Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball games (both teams won). The ASB organized a student activity between the two games and the evening was capped off with a staff vs. alumni basketball game. There were more than 100 alumni on hand for the Homecoming celebration. On Friday a group of Preuss soccer alumni played a scrimmage against our boys’ team. It was wonderful to welcome our alumni back to Preuss. Seniors are beginning to receive acceptances from colleges.

At least one student has been accepted to the following col-

lege or university: St. John’s University, Northern Arizona

University, Drew University, Mills College, CSU Dominguez

Hills, Humboldt State University, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Fuller-

ton, CSU Chico, CSU Fresno, San Francisco State University,

Drexel University, American Musical and Dramatic Academy,

UC Davis, Coe College, Oral Roberts University, Mount Saint

Mary’s College, Oglethorpe University, Prescott College,

Rider University, San Diego State University, Virginia Military

Institute and Stanford. We are extremely exited for our sen-

iors and we are eagerly awaiting more good news.

We are also having our ongoing membership campaign, a ten dollar contribution to help the PTA pay for expenses for all the students at Preuss, just come to our membership table at our meeting. Box Tops is an ongoing program that PTA is conducting, and it simply requires from you to cut the Box Top label found on different products, such as cereals, cookies, etc., and bring them to the meeting or send them through your student to the school’s front desk. Another way that PTA is bringing funds to our school, is by signing up to the E Scrip program that gives a percentage of money to our school every time you shop at partici-pating stores, it is that simple, just come to one of our tables at the meeting, and we’ll help you with the steps. For the February 27th meeting, we have our annual Potluck family event, so be prepared to spend a morning of gathering and sharing with the rest of the Preuss Families. I wish you the best for this year, and hope to see you at our meetings. Sincerely. Fernando Lomeli Sr.

News from the PTA President continued

Mark these important dates in your calendar: February 27, General Meeting 9:30-11:30 AM February 27th, Potluck Family Event– 11:30AM

First semester final exams are being given the week of Janu-ary 25 – 29 and report cards will be mailed home on Friday, February 5, 2010. If you do not receive your child’s report card, please contact the School. The second semester, which begins on February 1, will go by quickly, so it is important that we emphasize staying focused on academics now. Stu-dents who fall behind at the beginning of the semester have a much more difficult time being successful. Our absenteeism rate is higher than it has been in recent years. When students are absent, the School loses revenue and students lose valuable instruction. It is important that students attend school everyday when they are healthy. Students who are sick with flu-like symptoms MUST stay home from school. However, students who do not exhibit flu-like symptoms should do their best to get to school every day. Our blocks are longer, so when a student misses one day of school they are missing 90 minutes of instruction for each course. The mission of sending students to college is more difficult when students are absent. I strongly urge you to monitor your child’s attendance record and encourage him/her to attend school every day. In closing, I would like to thank the Parent Council Executive

Board members for the time and effort they put into organiz-

ing the PTA activities. I would also like to recognize all par-

ents who attend our monthly PTA General Meetings. The

commitment you make to The Preuss School is a commit-

ment you make to your child’s education.

Sincerely,

Scott Barton

News from Mr. Barton Cont’d Page 2

La Escuela Preuss UCSD ha iniciado oficialmente nuestra segunda década. Tenemos mucho de que sentirnos orgullosos si revisamos lo que hemos logrado en nuestra primera década. La Escuela de Preuss ha sido el lugar para estar. Ha sido el lugar modelo para la educación. Ha sido el lugar para la enseñanza ejemplar, con más del 75% de nuestros profesores con un nivel de educación avanzada. Ha sido el lugar para los jóvenes ur-banos de aprender y obtener un diploma de escuela secundaria, calificándolos para la admisión a los mejores colegios y universidades de la nación.

Nuestros resultados del API (Índice de Rendimiento Académico) se elevaron del puntaje bajo de 800 a la puntuación actual de 894. Hemos sido clasificados por numerosas publicaciones nacionales como una de las mejores escuelas en el país. Hemos graduado seis clases, y más del 90% de nuestros graduados han sido admitidos en colegios y universidades de cuatro años. En nuestros próximos 10 años, nos sentimos seguros de que nuestros estudiantes seguirán con el mismo éxito. La Escuela Preuss UCSD también tiene la misión de difundir nuestro modelo escolar, y nuestro objetivo es compartir nuestros éxitos con las escuelas de todo el país.

Este año ha traído buenas noticias. Hemos sido clasificados por la revista U.S. News & World Report como la Escuela Charter # 9 de la nación. Kelly Kovacic, profesora de la clase AP Gobierno, AP Historia de Estados Unidos, Prácticas,y Preparación a la Universidad , es la Maestra del Año de California y es finalista en la competencia nacional de Maestro del Año. Hemos sido nominados con el distinguido galardón de “National Blue Ribbon School.” Nuestros estudiantes siguen recibiendo becas y ayuda financiera. Paul Tran recibió la prestigiosa beca de Nordstrom. Alexis Mon-tes, Cassandra López, y Danielle Michel cada uno recibió el Premio/Beca Pate. Maryam Shamlow y Chieu Vuong Nguyen recibieron dos de las cinco becas otorgadas por la Asociación de Escuelas Charter de California. Nathaly González recibió una beca a través del Departamento de Cirugía Robótica del Centro Médico de UCSD, and Vivian Nguyen recibió el reconocimiento Violet Richardson Award de parte de Soroptimist Inter-national en Mission Bay.

Mientras que la escuela Preuss ha tenido un éxito abrumador, nosotros actualmente estamos enfrentando retos monetarios. Con los recortes del presupuesto estatal a la educación, nuestro personal ha hecho un trabajo increíble al ser más eficientes y productivos con recursos limitados. Estamos comprometidos con nuestros objetivos y vamos a seguir para ser un campeón en la educación, tratando de enviar el 100% de nuestros graduados a la universidad.

La escuela Peuss celebró la semana de “Homecoming” del 4 al 8 de enero. Los estudiantes egresados de Preuss regresaron a la escuela y re-alizaron presentaciones en las clases de Preparación a la Universidad. Su mensaje fue claro, el trabajo duro que los estudiantes realizan en la Es-cuela Preuss será recompensado con el éxito en la universidad. Seguidamente, tuvimos los juegos de baloncesto femenino y varonil (ambos equi-pos ganaron). La Asociación de Estudiantes ASB organizó una actividad de estudiantes entre los dos partidos, y por la noche todo culminó con un juego de baloncesto entre el personal de la escuela enfrentando a los alumnos. Había más de 100 ex-alumnos en el evento de celebración de bienvenida a la escuela. El viernes, un grupo de ex-alumnos de Preuss jugaron un partido de práctica de fútbol contra el equipo de nuestros estudiantes. Fue maravilloso dar la bienvenida a nuestros ex-alumnos en su visita a Preuss.

Los estudiantes del grado 12 están empezando a recibir las aceptaciones de las universidades. Al menos un estudiante ha sido aceptado en los siguientes colegios o universidades: St. John's University, Northern Arizona University, la Universidad de Drew, el Mills College, CSU Dominguez Hills, Humboldt State University, CSU Los Ángeles, CSU Fullerton, CSU Chico, CSU Fresno, San Francisco State University, Drexel University, Ameri-can Musical and Dramatic Academy, UC Davis, Coe College, la Universidad Oral Roberts, el Colegio Mount Saint Mary's, Oglethorpe University, Prescott College, Rider University, San Diego State University, Instituto Militar de Virginia y Stanford. Estamos muy contentos por nuestros estudi-antes del grado 12 y esperamos ansiosamente más buenas noticias

Los exámenes finales correspondientes al primer semestre serán dados durante la semana del 25 al 29 de enero y las boletas de calificaciones serán enviadas a casa por correo el viernes 5 de febrero, 2010. Si usted no recibe la boleta de calificaciones de su hijo, por favor comuníquese de inmediato a la escuela. El segundo semestre, que comienza el 1 de febrero, pasará rápidamente, así que es importante que hagamos hincapié en que los estudiantes deben mantenerse concentrados en lo académico ahora. Los estudiantes que se quedan rezagados en el inicio del semestre tienen más dificultad de tener éxito. Nuestra tasa de absentismo es más alta de lo que ha sido en los últimos años. Cuando los estudiantes están ausentes, la escuela pierde ingresos por asistencia y los estudiantes pierden enseñanza valiosa. Es importante que los estudiantes asistan a la escuela todos los días cuando están sanos. Los estudiantes que están enfermos con síntomas de gripe y fiebre deben quedarse en casa. Sin embargo, los estudiantes que no presen-ten síntomas de influenza deben hacer todo lo posible por asistir a la escuela todos los días. Nuestros bloques son más largos, así que cuando un estudiante pierde un día de escuela, se están perdiendo 90 minutos de instrucción para cada curso. La misión de enviar a los estudiantes a la uni-versidad es más difícil cuando los estudiantes están ausentes. Insisto encarecidamente a que dé seguimiento a la asistencia de su hijo(a) y motive a él / ella a que asista a la escuela todos los días.

Para concluir, me gustaría agradecer a los padres miembros de la Junta del Consejo Ejecutivo de PTA por el tiempo y el esfuerzo que dedican en la organización de las actividades. También me gustaría reconocer a todos los padres que asisten a nuestras reuniones mensuales del PTA en gen-eral. El compromiso que usted hace en la escuela Preuss es un compromiso que se ve realizado en la educación de su hijo.

Mensaje del Director de la Escuela Preuss Scott Barton

The Preuss Scool UCSD

Page 3

Student Services

Happy New Year Preuss Families,

It is hard to believe we are about to complete

the 1st half of the school year!

During these winter months, we are focusing

on career planning, preparing for college

and stress management. It’s helpful to have

a specific goal in mind when planning for

the future so that you can be aware of your

progress on the path toward college and a

career. There are many important factors to

consider when planning for college and two

of the most important ones are grades and

test scores.

During the month of January students will be

taking final exams and receiving their final

semester grades. Final exams and projects

can often create additional pressure and

stress for students. In order to help support

students during this important time, Student

Services will be holding Stress Down Week

activities during Final Exams at lunchtime.

The de-stressing activities will include:

games, coloring, meditation, breathing exer-

cises and relaxing biofeedback music.

Please contact us if we can support you in

any way, thank you!

Ms. Nieto—School Counselor

Grades 9-12

jjnieto@ucsd.edu (858) 658-7216

Ms. Patrick—School Counselor

Grades 6-8

empatrick@ucsd.edu (858) 658-7408

Attention Juniors and Parents:

College Kick-Off Meeting

Saturday, February 20, 2010

from 9:00 am-11:00 am

The Preuss School Walton Center

This initial meeting will present an overview of the college advising program for the Class of 2011.

We will provide organization tools,

a list of resources, and review college options and financial aid.

Senior Advisory teachers will be

there to meet you and assist families.

This event is mandatory for students

and parents.

Free parking will be available in the

Preuss School Lot and across the

street

Important Dates

In January/February

1/25-1/28: Final Exams-Stress Down Week during MS & HS Lunch

2/1: Second Semester Begins

2/4: Deadline to register for SAT (juniors) 2/5: Report Cards mailed home 2/6: Senior Financial Aid Work-shop 2/12 & 2/15: Holidays- Lincoln and Washington Day-No school

2/20: Junior College Kick-Off Meeting 2/27: SEA class—9:00-11:00a.m. 2/27: Saturday Parent Meeting 9:30-11:00 a.m.—Walton Center

Attention SENIORS and PARENTS:

FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP

Saturday, February 6, 2010

The Preuss School Walton Center from 9:00 am-12:30 pm

Meeting will include an update on the Class of 2010 College Bound Process as

well as a step by step/hands-on workshop where parents and students will be able

to submit their completed FAFSA. Note: Please bring all required materials

and financial documents – a list was emailed to seniors

Special Guests:

Yvonne Borrego and Ana Coral from UCSD Financial Aid Office

ASU High School Conference at SDSU The Afrikan Student Union (ASU) High School Conference will

be held on Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 8am-5pm at San

Diego State University. This conference will place an emphasis

on informing you about what it takes to succeed in the college

environment and encourage you to follow your dreams of higher

education. The event will be held at SDSU’s Aztec Center and

will feature workshops, informational sessions for parents,

entertainment, lunch and more activities. For more information

and to register online visit:

http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~asu/hsconference.html

COSMOS 2010 Open House California State Summer School for Math and

Science

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

1:00pm-3:00pm

Solis Hall @ UCSD

Learn about the COSMOS, a four-week residential

summer program for high-achieving students inter-

ested in science, technology, engineering, and math!

Financial aid is available.

Page 4

The Preuss School UCSD

By Meghan Kaheny

The Preuss School UCSD Library and Media Center wishes you a joyful and happy New Year. Thank you to all of our parent volun-teers who support our work on a daily basis. We are pleased to announce that the library has a full collection of Janet Allen’s “Plugged into Reading” audio books (playaways) with corresponding print texts to sharpen student comprehension. Thank you to the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary for their generous contribution. We also have renewed our Gale/Cengage educational databases. These databases assist students in utilizing infor-mative and cutting edge multimedia such as film and video clips of historical events as well as poetry, literary criticisms, online en-cyclopedias, and thousands of online peri-odicals and newspapers. The databases are not only available in the Media Center; they can also be accessed at home through the library website (http://preuss.ucsd.edu). A New Year also sparks a desire for

renewed health and wellness. In keeping with that spark, the library has a collec-tion of books on exercise, diet, and stress management available for our students. The library also supports Mr. Romer’s Africa Project though its display of stu-dent-made topographical maps as well as books on African history, culture, and religion. Congratulations to student art-ists for their work on the “Where the Wild Things Are” bookmark contest. The artwork we received was stunning and inspiring. The 1st place winner Estafania Vinalay, 2nd place winner Michelle Swann, and 3rd place winner Jocelyn No-bouphasavanh are now published artists as their designs and interpretations were printed, published, and distributed throughout the school. The coming months celebrate President’s Day and the nation-wide “Read Across America Day” (aka Dr. Seuss’s birthday) as well as The Barnes and Noble BookFair in the spring.

“TODAY A

READER,

TOMORROW

A LEADER”

~ W.

FUSSELMAN

January bulletin-nurses notes H1N1 Update: Thank you so much for coming to our H1n1 vaccine clinic, it was a big success. I also thank the wonderful volunteer parents and volunteer staff that made this service possible. Over 300 doses were dispensed. We are feeling good about prevention of the flu by having this valuable vaccine available to our students and their families. If you missed it and still want to receive the vaccine, watch for other free clinic information in your area or visit one of the county clinics. For more information check the following resources: www.cdc.gov/hiniflu/, www.flu.gov, call 800-CDC-INFO , check the San Diego Unified School district website, and please feel free to contact the school nurse, Christine Rich-ter RN @858-658-7422 for any further questions. Please continue illness prevention measures in your daily life: hand washing, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, try to avoid contact with sick people, and if you or your child be-comes ill (fever >100 degrees, cough, sore throat, etc.) stay home till the fever has been gone for 24hours, consult with your doctor for any concerns. Christine Richter

NEWS FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE

January is a good time to think about illness prevention and health promotion. Please schedule those important health related visits such as physicals, eye ex-ams, dental checkups and screenings. Currently it is Preteen vaccine week, we encourage parents to schedule an appointment for your child updated. The follow-ing are recommended for 11&12 year olds: MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINE-PROTECTS AGAINST MENINGITIS TETANUS BOOSTER Tdap-PROTECTS AGAINST DIPHERIA, TETANUS AND WHOOPING COUH. HPV (HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS) VACCINE-3 DOSE SERIES THAT PROTECTS GIRLS AGAINST TYPES OF HPV THAT MOST COMMONLY CAUSE CERVICAL CANCER. 2ND DOSE OF CHICKENPOX VACCINE (If your child has not had the chickenpox)

ONGOING GOAL: of stress reduction, get more exercise, walk more, see nurse for

information r/e MUSIC AS MEDICINE, free program on exciting health benefits of

music therapy.6 week series on Wednesday evenings.

See nurse, Christine Richter for more information 858-658-7422.

Monthly health tip for 2010:

Page 5

Presentamos Clases de Com-

putación en la Biblioteca.

Nuestra asistente en la biblio-

teca, Maria Gonzalez, ofre-

cerá clases de computación

después de las juntas de pa-

dres. Busque mas información

en las invitaciones para las juntas o le puede hablar al

858.658.7426.

¿Tenemos su teléfono y di-

rección correcta? Por favor

recuerde informar a la oficina

principal cada vez que cam-bie su teléfono y/o dirección.

Es muy imperante que tenga-

mos una manera de contac-

tarlo en caso de emergencia y

para que reciba su correo.

Introducing Computer

Classes for Parents in the

Library.

Our Library Assistant, Maria

Gonzalez will be teaching

computer classes after parent

meetings. Look for informa-

tion on the meeting flyers or

you can reach her at

858.658.7426.

Do we have your correct

number? Please make sure to

update your contact informa-

tion with the front office

every time you change your

number. It is very important

that the school has a way to

get in touch with you in case

of an emergency and that

mailings go to the right

address.

Attention parents!

Saludos Comunidad de Preuss

Es con mucho entusiasmo que les doy la bienvenida de nuestras vacaciones de invierno a todos, y espero que todos hayan tenido un merecido des-

canso, y que estén listos para empezar el Nuevo año 2010.

Iniciaremos el año con nuestra junta General el 23 de enero, hablando de los asuntos de la transportación y llevando a cabo una encuesta, así que es

muy importante que participe dando su información en esta encuesta para que nosotros podamos dar recomendaciones a la Junta de Directivos de la

Escuela Preuss UCSD ( The Preuss School UCSD Board of Directors) acerca de la de la decisión de descontinuar la transportación de los estudian-

tes del 11vo y 12vo grados para el próximo año.

Tendremos también nuestra campaña permanente de membrecías, que es una contribución de diez dólares para ayudar a que el PTA page gastos de

todos los estudiantes en Preuss, solamente venga a nuestra mesa de membrecías en nuestra junta. Box Tops es un programa permanente que el PTA esta llevando a cabo, y que simplemente requiere que usted recorte la etiqueta que dice Box Top que se encuentran en diferentes productos, como

cereales, galletas, etc., y tráigalos a la junta o mándelos a la recepción de la escuela atreves de su estudiante. Otra manera que el PTA esta trayendo

fondos para la Escuela, es inscribiéndose en el programa E Scrip que da un porcentaje de dinero a nuestra escuela cada vez que usted compra en tiendas participantes, así de simple, solamente venga a una de nuestras mesas en la junta, y le ayudaremos con los pasos a seguir.

Para nuestra junta de Febrero 27, tenemos nuestro evento anual familiar Potluck, asi que venga preparado a pasar una mañana de reunión, y com-

parta con el resto de las familias de Preuss.

Le deseo lo mejor para este año, y espero verlo en nuestras juntas.

Fernando Lomeli Sr.

Presidente del PTA de la Escuela Preuss UCSD

Marque estas importantes fechas en su calendario:

Febrero 27, Junta General.

Febrero 27, Potluck Evento Familiar.

January started off with Homecoming. ASB hosted a week-long series of events January 4-8 that included lunch time competitions, a spirited basketball game (both the boys team and the girls team won their games!) and an alumni soccer game against current Preuss soccer teams on Fri-day. A number of alumni returned to campus throughout the week and spoke to advisory classes about their college experiences. It was an excit-ing week to welcome in the new year. Coming in February is the ASB ball. This highly anticipated dance will be on Saturday night, February 20th from 7-11pm at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. The theme this year is Masquerade Ball and all students who purchase a ticket will be given a blank mask to decorate as they please. Tickets will be $40 and are on same a limited time. They go fast so don’t wait too long to purchase your ticket. Look for the table out-side the Walton Center from 2/8 – 2/11.

AirBand is coming! This years’ talent show will be on Saturday,

March 20th at 7pm. This is a change from previous years and is meant to

allow families to attend together. Tickets must be purchased in advance –

there will be NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR! Students are practic-

ing hard for auditions and this year’s show promises to be exciting with lots

of talented people. All proceeds from ticket and food sales goes to benefit

the senior class and their end-of-the-year activities. Ticket sales are lim-

ited to the number of seats we can set up in the Walton Center so don’t be

left out.

NEWS FROM ASB BY ANNE ARTZ

The Preuss School UCSD Insight Newsletter is made possible thanks to:

Michael P. O’Neill, Director of Manufacturing, CareFusion Corporation,

Chip Mutza, Site Manager from Ikon Office Solutions Jose Garcia, Preuss Former Parent from Class 0f 2004

CareFusion Corporation 10020 Pacific Mesa Blvd.

Preuss Alumni Basketball team played against our staff during

the celebration of Homecoming. Courtesy of ASB

MENSAJE DEL PRESIDENT DE LA ASOCIACION DE PADRES—PTA Page 6